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i am a human being who has seen much of injustice in the kurdish part of the world. for that simple reason i am trying to write about this big problem that has plagued the region for a long time. so that hopefully more people will be aware of the kurds and sympathize with their righteous cause.

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Here is a great article written by Nabi Yagcioglu in daily Taraf. I dont have to say that I dont agree with everything he says, but he does speak the truth. Here is the link to the original in Turkish, too.

Nowadays there are two confusing phenomena : Reality of the AK Party and that of the PKK. In order to clarify these confusions, one needs to look at the peoples [behind these movements]. When I look at from this perspective, I see enlightening awakening of the Islam-oriented populace prior to AK Party and rising libertarian awakening of the Kurdish people prior to the PKK.Before the fruit, one needs to see the soil that gives life and taste to it.All of us, from time to time, say “It was the oppressive atmosphere of September 12th[the military coup d’etat of 1980] that created PKK”. This judgement is only one facet of the reality. PKK is not solely a product of the September 12th. PKK is an organization, one of the organizations that resilient Kurdish people created, a people that did not let itself to be either assimilated or annihilated by the state of the Turkish Republic.Yesterday[past] was different, but today when one thinks of the reality of the PKK, it should not be only weapons that come to mind, prior to that, the support that it receives from its people should be acknowledged. There is sociology behind that support. In the southeast,at least one person from every family (one should think of family in terms of relatives as well) is either in this war, or extra-judicially [by the deep and open state] killed, and at least one person has rebelled and went to the mountains [to join the guerillas]. It does not end there, countless villages and hamlets have been evacuated [forcefully by the Turkish Armed Forces], thousands of Kurds have been forced to immigrate to the west. They were forced into a destitute situation of unemployment,lack of education, and hunger. And there is a history, Dersim Massacre is not the only example[there are many more]. This is oppression[tyranny].Rebelling against oppression is a right.From “there is no Kurd” nonsense they have come to “Kurds are our brothers” purple prose. “We are brothers, we have been living together for ages, we have intermarried” discourse is only one side of the reality, and from this perspective it is a miracle that peoples [Kurds and Turks together] have created; however when looked from a political point of view, this [merely] is a hypocrisy that hides [undermines] the oppression and inequality. There can exist no brotherhood where there is inequality. And expecting brotherhood from the one that is oppressed, downtrodden, sufferer is deceiving oneself if not naivite. If humanism is not understood correctly, it could turn into an ornamental shawl that is used to hinder inequality and injustice. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not the ones who are oppressed that decide the form of rebellion, but rather the oppressors. The ones that try to annihilate the others with violence and weapons are reciprocated in the same manner. Sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind.What have you given[in order to have the face] to be asking for?Here it is, Kurdish people is a people that against all these odds could not be brought down on its knees and assimilated [into Turkishness]. Even in the face of this 30 years old bloody history, the Kurds are a resisting people that have caught the national awakening momentum today. These people are still under pressure, but no longer are they downtrodden, or oppressed; they are a competent people that have gained self-confidence and succeeded in establishing their own local governances. This is the rality we are facing, there is no use of contorting the facts. There is a past behind Kurdish people’s freedom struggle, this struggle is a result of accumulation of this people’s and Kurdish intellectuals’ struggle, but by pointing out to this fact, one should not ignore PKK’s role [in this]. When I think of the “Kurdish Movement”, I think of the active role of the PKK, but I also think of the waves of a united and rising people’s movement that is composed of factions that think differently from the PKK as well, and a movement of those who were parts of the non-governmental organizations that have transformed into peace and democracy activists. This point, especially nowadays, is a sensitive point on which we need think on more attentively. My knowledge and observations tell me that those who are in the Kurdish Movement, and who criticize the mistakes of the PKK, and think of alternative methods of struggling [other than the armed struggle], and even those who vote for the AK Party, all come together around protection of the rights that the Kurdish people have gained. They are aware of the consequences that might arise if this rising wave breaks down. Because, the Kurds know this mechanism called state much better than the Turks, and they know state’s carrot and stick, and divide and control strategies very well, and they dont want to fall into the trap. In my opinion, they are very right. Kürt halk hareketinin yükselen dalgasını kırabilecek bir başka tehlike ise bizzat PKK’den gelebilir. Gelinen noktada PKK’nin şiddet eylemlerini sürdürmesi veya kontrol dışı eylemlerle şiddet olaylarının devamı bu bileşik hareketi bölebilir. Batman’da barış ve demokrasinin sevilen dört aktivistinin mayın patlaması sonucu can yakan ölümleri bu tehlikeyi gösteren çok ciddi bir uyarıydı. Bu halk onlarca yıl şiddet altında yaşamaktan bıktı ve yoruldu artık. Barışı bu nedenle en çok onlar istiyor. Ama eşit haklılık temelinde.Özetle; hem iç hem dış konjonktür, silahlı eylemi iki taraf için de çıkmaz yol yapmıştır. Barış söylemlerinden “barışı inşa etme” evresine geçilmek zorunda. Barışın inşası sürecine giremez isek ne olur? Geçici ateşkes, kalıcı hale gelemez ve barışın inşası sürecinin kapısını açamazsa sonrasını düşünmek bile istemiyorum.Another dangerous move that can break down this rising wave of Kurdish people’s movement could come from the PKK itself. At this point, if PKK continues its acts of violence or continuation of these violent acts out of its control, it could divide this united movement. The deaths of the four beloved activists of peace and democracy in Batman caused by the mine explosion is a very serious warning sign showing the dangers [of such a move]. These people are sick and tired of living under this cycle of violence for decades. That is the reason why they are the ones who want peace the most. But based on the principle of equality. Shortly; both domestic and international conjuncture have made it very difficult for both sides to use weapons. Peace discourse has to evolve into “constructing peace” phase. What would happen if we dont move on to constructing peace process,? If the temporary ceasefire[declared by the PKK, unilaterally] does not turn into a permanent ceasefire and cannot open the door the constructing peace process, I dont even want to think about what could happen.Let me tell you by reminding you the words of deceased Turgut Ozal [Turkey’s president during 1993, in which PKK has declared its first unilateral ceasefire] that was cited by Cengiz Candar: If this ceasefire breaks down, the violence would return multi-folds and the country would turn into a blood bath.

PS: The writings in italic in brackets are my additions to clarify the meaning.

noble were my ancestors/sincere my deeds/that is why i sacrificed so many a life/so that we can prevent the big strife/that will make us our live even more damning and dooming/while peace is what we really are seeking/no i am not giving up/i shall drink from the golden cup/the sacred water of martyrdom/ if need be, to reach long awaited freedom/you all shall witness my might/with the sword of Damocles/your path will be filled with light/light of Saladin, that defeated Lionheart/it is this heart i have that gives me strength/otherwise how can i go to this length/little do they know of my anger and power/if they don’t give what is mine/i will take by sword and by powder/let it be know to them, to the bloodthirsty enemies/or else they wont have a chance to escape my sword/ even if they have strongest of the armies.biji Kurdistan, bimri koledar!

ps: a lot of things are happening in Kurdistan and I will be writing a post very soon about recent development and what they mean for us!

I think Cigerxwin has answered this question better than anybody else, so I will just leave you alone with his great poem called "Kime Ez" or "Who Am I", the only thing you need to do is to replace "I" with "We":

WHO AM I?

Who am I, you ask ?

The Kurd of Kurdistan,

a lively volcano,

fire and dynamite

in the face of enemy.

When furious,

I shake the mountains,

the sparks of my anger

are death to my foes.

Who am I ?

I am in the east,

forts and castles

towns and hamlets,

rouks and boulders,

What irony, what a shameful day !

A slave I am now for blood suckers

Yet I saved the Middle East

from the Romans and the crusaders.

Who am I ?

Ask the Near East,

Ask the Middle East,

villages and towns,

plains and deserts.

They were once all mine

when by war and knowledge

I defeated rivals

to become crowned over an empire

stretching to the borders of India.

Who am I ?

I am the proud Kurd,

the enemies' enemy,

the friend of peace-loving ones.

I am of noble race,

not wild as they claim.

My mighty ancestors

were free people.

Like them I want to be free

and that is why I fight

for the enemy won't leave in peace

and I don't want to be forever oppressed.

Who am I ?

I shall free my land

from the tyrants;

from the crrupt Shah and Mollas,

from the Turkish juntas

so we may live free

like other nations,

so my gardens and meadows

are mine again;

So I can join the struggle

for the good of mankind.

Who am I ?

It was I who defeated

Richard the Lionheart

My own blood I shed

to defend these regions.

A thorn I was in my enemies' side;

in my shadow lived the Arabs, Turks and Persian;

many a king held my horse's head.

Yes I am the warrior,

I am Saladin,

the King of Egypt, Syria and Israel.

Who am I ?

I am Ardashir,

I am Noshi Rawan.

In the acient days

rivals feared my caesars

regretted my animosity.

I knew no fright;

in love with adventure;

from India to Greece

they paid me tribute.

Who am I ?

Yes, I am the Kurd,

the Kurd of Kurdistan

who is poor and oppressed today.

My castles and forts

are now demolished;

my name and my fame'

swindled by my assailants,

those who set germs into my body

to paralize my existence

making a nameless soul of me;

a nation with no friends.

Who am I?

I am the one who despite it all

remains the unyielding Kurd;

still formidable to the enemy.

The smell of dynamite is again in my nostrils

and in my heart the strong desire to erupt.

I am the fighting valiant of mountains

who is not in love with death

but for the sake of life and freedom

he sacrifices himself

so that the land of his ancestors,

the invincible Medes;

his beloved Kurdistan , may become unchained.

Who am I?

One of my ancestors was the Blacksmith Kawa

who slayed Dahak, the notorious tyrant

to break off chains from Kurdish shoulders

and save many heads from the sword and death.

The day his vicious reign ended

was called NEWROZ, the New Day.

When Newroz comes winter departs

taking with it the dark harsh times

to make place for light and warmth.

This is the time, as Zoroaster says,

the evil spirit Ahriman is defeated

at the hand of Ormazd, the god of wisdom and light.

Who am I?

I am the maker of Newroz;

again I shall become my own master,

the ruler of my land

so I may enjoy the fruits of my orchards,

relish the sacred wines of my vineyards

and put an end to a dark era

by seeking salvation in knowledge and science;

I shall make another new day

and breathe the pure air of the liberty.

Who am I?

I am Kordokh, the good old Khaldew;

I am Mitan; Nayri and Sobar;

the son of Lo Lo; Kardok and Kodi;

I am the Mede, the Gosh, Hori and Gudi;

I am the Kurmanc, Kelhor; Lor and Gor;

yes, I have always been and remain the Kurd.

Despite centuries of suppression

in a country by force divided.

Who am I?

I am the son of Lor, Kelhor and Kurmanc

who have lost crown and reign

to become powerless,

betrayed in the name of religion

to carry rosaries in their hands

duped by the rulers,

deprived of might and wealth,

fighting each other, divided and torn

while my oppressed Kurdistan,

my wretched Kurdistan

remains prossessed.

Who am I?

The son of the Kurdish nation

awaken from deep sleep,

marching forward,

proud as a lion

wanting the whole world to know;

I shall struggle and continue the path to freedom;

I shall learn from great men,

Like Marx and Lenin.

I make a vow to my ancestors,

to Salar, Shergo and Deysem,

that this of mine will remain vigorous, unyielding, stronger than death.

Let it be kown;

I announce with no fear;

Liberty is my goal;

I shall advance in this path.

Who am I ?

I am not blood thirsty;

no, I adore peace.

Noble were my ancestors;

sincere are my leaders,

We don't ask for war but demand equality

but our enemies are the ones who betray and lie.

Friendship I seek and offer my hands

to all friendly nations.

Long live Kurdistan;

death to the oppressor!!!

And here is the original Kurdish version of the poem which was made into a song by beloved Sivan Perwer, here is the link to the song:

There are two ways to make someone accept the things that you do to him/her and don’t want those things to be done to you.

You either deceive them, or suppress them.

I don’t know a third way of doing this.

The Turks do the things to the Kurds that they don’t want to be done to them.

We tried to deceive them.

They did not buy it.

We tried to suppress them by force, with weapons and oppression.

They did not let it.

They rebelled 29 times (against us).

And their last rebellion has been going on for the last 25 years.

Many people died.

Actually, the problem is as complicated as it is said to be.

The Kurds want to be treated the way the Turks are treated.

It is that simple.

As much as I can see, the problem is with us, the Turks.

We don’t want to share (have the same) rights we have in this country with our “brother” Kurds that we want to deceive.

The behavior that should be analyzed is our behavior, why do we reject having equal rights with the people that we call our “brothers”.

What would happen if we were equal?

What would go wrong if we did not name them “you are Turks” by force; support their rights to have education in their mother tongue?

If we look at this problem from a religious point of view, maybe we will understand the Kurds better.

If the Christians had had a bigger population than the Muslims and had written, “citizens of this country are called Christians” in the constitution, would the Muslims have accepted it?

If it was said, “OK, you are Muslim, but your national identity is Christianity” would the Muslims have not rebelled?

Would they have said, “We are Christians” by force?

Don’t say, “Religion is different”.

People’s races, traditions and cultures are as “sacred” as their religions and beliefs are.

We are born with our race and religion.

In fact, you could change your religion, you could encounter someone who was Muslim and converted to Christianity, and someone who was Christian and converted to Islam, but you cannot change your race.

If we look at this from a religious person’s point of view, “race” is a characteristic that God gave to human beings without giving them, “the right to change it”.

You cannot give up your race.

You carry the characteristics of your race from birth to death.

Would you accept the treatment if you were being looked down upon as if you were inferior to the others and “insulted” because of a characteristic of you that “cannot be changed and cannot be given up”?

You would not, nobody would.

There is a race as Kurdish, and there is also a race as Turkish.

Lets first ask to the Muslims.

“Why would someone who was created by God be treated differently from someone else who was also created by God?”

Afterwards, lets ask to the nationalists who call themselves “leftists”.

“Why would one of the two races that were created by nature have to accept the other one’s superiority?”

The problem is not with the Kurds who are asking for equality, because it is their right both in God’s and in humans’ eyes, the problem is the fact that we don’t accept to be “equal” with them.

We don’t want to accept the ones that are not from our race, to be equal to us.

Is it not “racism”?

This is both a sin and a shameful act.

Why do we try to suppress other human beings just because we have an army and we are more in numbers than they are?

Candidly, I don’t understand why we have so much difficulty in saying that, “The Kurds and the Turks are equal”.

What is the logic behind saying, “The Kurds cannot have the rights that the Turks have”?

The Turks are not superior to the Kurds; they are just more in numbers.

Did you not get angry when the Muslims in Western Thrace, and the Turks in Bulgaria were being suppressed because “their numbers were less” (in terms of population)?

Now, why do you do the same things to our ”brothers”?

Why do you let thousands of children die, and thousands of mothers suffer in pain because of this?

Why is it so difficult for you to accept equality?

What does, “I can get education in my mother tongue, but you cannot, I could be associated with my own race, but you cannot” mean?

We are in an era, where people pride themselves on “what they do”, and not in an era where people pride themselves based on their race or religion, or see themselves superior to others because of their race or religion. Human beings are “individuals”, and the race and religion that they belong to only matter to them.

We are still in race-fight.

It should end now.

It is enough that so many children have died because of this stupidity.

Etyen Mahçupyan has written a great article about why the Kurds should not trust the Turkish state, and also why the PKK should keep its arms, and never lay them down even if there is peace! There is nothing more for me to say, read the article and see by yourself why we should keep fighting no matter what. Here is the link to the original page on Taraf, and here is the translation, the language might be a little heavy. OK, enough of talking, enjoy it (Note:the words in italicsare my own additions to clarify the meaning):

It has been known for a long time now that the Kurdish Question cannot be solved solely by words. Actually, old attitude of the state demonstrates that while saying “There are no Kurds”, Kurds were considered to be important at the same time. Moreover, this “There are no Kurds” rhetoric was not a way for not recognizing the existence of the Kurds, but rather a way to fight the Kurds. But, creating “fake realities” is one of the most commonly implemented tactics of the Republican regime. Because the Republican administration considered a “system in which differences could live together equally” as a threat, thus they saw the differences within the society of Turkey as “alien”, and treated them as if they were citizens of another country. Consequently, any step that aimed to give the rights of those different identities (groups) back to them, or bring social equality and improve freedoms, was seen as a “compromise”. It was as if there was a conflict going on between the state, which represented the Turkish identity, and other different identities and the real aim of the state was to win this conflict.

When we look at the issue from this perspective, we see that “There are no Kurds” rhetoric has tactical/strategic purpose. The advantage of beginning from the rearmost (such as “There are no Kurds”)would always be available in a possible negotiation process… In addition to this, when you manipulate the society in this direction, a psychological advantage comes along with it. This approach shows us that the attempt of a military coup—that is incorporated in the Ergenekon investigation—is not that “post modern”. Because the state in Turkey is very experienced in moving one part of the society in whichever direction it wants to… And the base for these (manipulated) movements – contrary to the practices in the West—is the fact that the society is left ignorant and is intentionally misinformed (about the realities on the ground).

The societies in which the level of ignorance is regulated, sometimes there are very convenient conditions for “solutions” to big problems, and the state does not miss that kind of opportunity. To give a simple example, the Capital Tax was implemented in the years of WWII (Turkish Capital Tax was aimed at the non-Muslim minorities of Turkey which impoverished them a lot), or if we go further in the past, the Assyrian and Armenian Deportation coincided with the WWI… These kinds of cyclical situations allow each country to get further away from the international laws, and break these laws. The ones who commit these crimes get away with what they do, and the actions of those times are buried in the history with the excuse of “some things have happened at that time, but there was a war”.

Thereby, regarding long–lasting problems that seem to be irresolvable, some big permanent steps are taken in favor of the state and consequently the Turkish identity… The ones who have the Turkish identity mostly don’t know of this special history and are not interested in it anyway. Most of them are happy with the ideological “information booklet” that the state provide them with, and continue their lives with the ignorance that is required by the citizenship. The small minority that objects to this is alienated/estranged and is forced to stay as if they are refugees, as a result of being blamed for a wide array of things that extends to being(called) a traitor.

But there is the exact apposite situation for the others (namely, non-Turks). For instance, the non-Muslims know this “state history” very well and are able to preserve their identity (conscience)partly by making this aforementioned history known. The same situation is applicable for the Kurds as well… So this bizarre situation comes to the forefront: “The more the Turks are inclined to forget, the more the Kurds are inclined to remember…”

On the other hand, the ones who are doing politics around/forthe identities that are opposed by the state know that there is an untrustworthy/unreliable belligerent opponent/foein front of them that looks for a cyclical situation(a moment that the opponent is weakest to attack). Because of this, they also try to maximize their bargaining power. To be on an unequal level against the state and to live in a republican regime that does not allow freedom of expression links the bargaining power usually to being an armed group. Shortly, emergence of the PKK as an armed group implies the pursuit of being equal (having equal power/authority)with the state. On the other hand, PKK’s existence is very functional, because even from the perspective of the Kurds that do not support its actions, PKK is an element of bargaining/negotiationagainst the state.

The ones who are talking about PKK’s disarmament are acting as if they are not aware of the history of the Republic of Turkey in the minds/memories of the Kurds. PKK could seriously lay down the arms, and they could genuinely want this, too… But it will not lay down arms as far as possible, because the Kurdish society does not trust the state. There is no guarantee that a more tyrannical regime will not be imposed upon the Kurds under the disguise of politicization of the PKK and there isn’t any state authority that can guarantee this. Because history has proven that these kinds of guarantees are (never)executed.

This year is a hundredth anniversary of the Adana Massacre in 1909… An event that some want to see forgotten, and others that want to remember it. The reason behind the conflict that emerged right after the declaration of the second constitutional period was the attraction of the wealth of the Armenians. The events started in small scale but grew into an armed “interference”/confrontationquickly which killed a few people from both sides. The Armenians were stronger/more resistant than they were expected to be and because they did not trust the authorities they did not want to give in their weapons. In this situation, Parliament made a decision of disarmament and the delegation that was sent to the region persuaded the Armenians as well. The Armenians gave in their weapons… in the following days 30 thousand people were massacred…

Nowadays, you could explain to the Kurds what a “right” decision it would be if the PKK laid down the arms. As a matter of fact that is how they think, too. They know that peace can only be achieved in an environment where there are no weapons. But they also know the history of this region and they don’t trust the state. That is issue…

So, you see why PKK should never give in the arms in their hands? Because it is our only guarantee!